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Sunday, December 31, 2006

New Years once again. I know I've changed alot over the past few years, but I'd have to say that I've probably changed the most this past year, and definitely in the past 6 months, and in ways I didn't know I could change. I've grown up alot, and that's saying alot, because I felt grown up before. My views on things that have always been static, are now turned around. Nothing too major. I don't believe much in Bigfoot anymore, I don't think the Lochness Monster exists, and I'm pretty sure Oswald acted alone. Shocking news to my fellow Conspiracy Theorists, I apologize. I still love the conspiracies, but I hold them in a different regard and are now mainly for my amusement.

The feelings I thought would never change have changed completely. The feelings I feared would change have only been strengthened. And with all that myself and this family have had to go through, with all the pain, and anguish, I find myself in awe of the power of Love and family. Ok, enough of that. That's really for another post and one I'm certainly not ready for just yet. What I'm really trying to get at is the idea that now more than ever, I'm ready to get back to work at making this new year even more productive then the last. So let's get to it.

The zombie episode won't be a problem. I've got a quarter of the footage I need. The rest won't really be a problem to shoot as long as I can secure some minor casting. FX tests pending. One location down, but I may need another one. Also it would be helpful if someone from the cast (or more than one) of TMS came down. I know Terry expressed interest. That would be a huge help in keeping in many of the same characters from the movie.

For the detective short, there is a problem with lighting in the location I have. It takes place in one room, during the day, with plenty of sunlight. My location has no windows. So I'll be rewriting that bit. Plus there are a few items in this location that I cannot move, and the room has to be completely empty. So some improvising is in order. The minor FX in this one are covered as well.

But as for other upcoming projects, I'm going to need assitance from a professional FX company. Been talking to a couple of em. One in L.A. and another in Canada. A little bit too pricey for what I have, but definitely folks I'd like to keep in contact with once we have a real budget to work with.

As for where the funding is coming from for this, well for the most part, these are all no budget productions, as always. But I'm in the midst of working out a deal with a company for a small bit of funding for the other projects. This is not to mention what may be brewing with our little indie film THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL. It's going to be an interesting next few months. Until then we work no budget, as usual, and keep hittin that day job. And of course I'll be posting the little behind the scenes tricks on all these productions and more.

Also some interesting developments at the day job. Digital technology is really picking up within the movie theatre industry. This past year UltraStar Theatres in Southern Cali went 100 percent digital. Carmike Theatres are in the process of going the same route. I've been working as a projection tech for several years now and I'm blown away each day I work with the digital equipment. I find it odd how often I actually have to use a computer to fix a problem in the projection booth. In the past it was always a splicer and tape. Now if you don't have a familiarity with computers to go along with projection experience, you're pretty much useless. Thank god I've been doing both for a while now.

We're only a few years away from having a complete digital system replacing these old 35mm projectors in almost every theatre across the country. It's scary this equipment I get to work with. The things that these computers and digital projectors are capable of are mind blowing. I swear to God the other day the main server booted up, took a deep Darth Vader breath, and in this deep Dr. Claw voice, told me to Fuck off. Seriously. The system is filled with glitches, of course, but the speed at which they are being fixed is phenomenal.

I have to say though, as much as I love 35mm film projectors, this new digital technology will really help out indie moviemakers even more so then it previously has. No need to bust out 3 to 4 grand to transfer your movie to film. Now you can keep your movie digital, film look it if you want to, have it loaded into a portable hard drive and ingested in to the main LMS, or just simply burn a high quality DVD, or even hook up your laptop or camera. Screening DVDs through a digital projector is how we've done screenings in the past, but now the ease at how this can be done and then projected at such great quality, it really is mind blowing.

It's an interesting time to be a movie maker and a projectionist. I'm having a blast being both.

Happy New Year! God I miss being in Texas with a house full of Filipinos singing bad karaoke on New Years Eve. Wherever you are, I hope this will be an amazing new year for all of us.

Friday, December 29, 2006

I was wrong about being able to work on FX Friday. That'll most likely be pushed back to Monday or Tuesday, as it seems this script for this untitled detective short has decided to take presidence (sp?). Also it seems I have to work. Seems appropriate somehow that I would be spending the first of the year killing zombies.

In doing research for this particular short, I find myself looking up subjects on google along the lines of, handcuffs, binary explosives, and firearms, and I begin to wonder if the government can somehow secretly see what I'm searching for and if they think that I'm some sort of rogue terrorist that has a bondage fetish. I assure you all these subjects will most likely be featured in this newest short (except for the bondage). Although the topic of big brother spying on you does make one paranoid about the topics of porn one searches for.

Anyhoo, I've decided to compile some of the current contests for you digital video enthusiasts. Most of these I will most likely not be partaking in due to time constraints, but it's fun to contemplate what kind of commercial one could shoot for JVC, and Dove, and the Coke contest does seem intruiging.

IFC MEDIA LAB Independent Spirit Awards Short Film Contest 2007Make a short film (90 seconds or less) with the theme:What does independence mean to you? May give this one a shot. We've already got The Midnight Special Trailer uploaded on the regular IFC Media Lab, why not throw them one more.Deadline: January 19th, 2007

SHIFTING BASELINESEnter your 60 second short about Shifting Baselines. Find out for yourself what that means. Prizes include: Final Cut Studio and $2500 cash. Celebrity Judges include Zooey Deschanel and Michael Rapaport.Deadline: March 1st, 2007

Convenient Truth aka TreeHugger ContestAn Inconvenient Truth presented a problem. They want you to show them how to solve this problem. Create an actionable, inspiring follow-up to the movie. But you've got 2 minutes to do it in.Deadline: February 28th, 2007

VBOXX Video ContestHonestly, this one doesn't look all that appealing, and actually looks like a big hassle.

Zannel FestSubmit a kick ass short film under 10 minutes and you could win cash and a rubber chicken. No really.Deadline: April 1st, 2007

Thursday, December 28, 2006

After a few delays today and some minor setbacks, I finally got to sort out the actual production schedule and production list in order of importance. Let's just say I'll have puh-lenty to keep me occupied with over the next 3 months. But first priority is this Monster Cops Episode. It's 5 minutes to start, and will most likely showcase more of the horror and comedy, and less of the dramatic empathy I'm so dying to display in an episode. This one is definitely going to be bloody. So at least it'll be fun.

Friday is all about FX work. I'll be documenting the creation of a no budget squib and blood splatter. And quite possibly how I'll be testing out a zombie chest explosion without making it look too over the top, Kung Fu movie, cheesy. Also the subtle art of shooting a zombie in the brain. Defintely have to look into pond liners and plenty of tarp, because the only place around here that I can get bloody, I can't actually get bloody.

There may also be a video blog or two on the horizon, it really just depends on how everything else goes. Aside from the MC Episode, there is at least one short after that, possibly overlapping, and all the while I've got some screenwriting to do. I've also got to upgrade the memory on the computer and figure out why it won't let me burn DVD's, which sucks cause I got people waiting for some copies of a GAG REEL as well as more screeners to send out.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas. It's been a bit on the rough side here, but nothing that we couldn't handle. Some unexpected help in places, and definitely some very amusing times have been had, especially after last night. Special thanks to 5 very funny women for that.

There is a post coming about the roller coaster ride of emotion and the current tragedy, but I'm not quite ready to spill it just yet. So bare with me. In the meantime, I go back to editing for another hour, and then sleep it is. Afterwhich I jump back on the editing horse.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

A blank piece of paper is God's way of telling us how hard it is to be God. - Sidney Sheldon

It's true. Essentially you are playing God when you write. And many people often whine to God about life and wish he would just fix it already. Many people often wish they were God or at least had her powers. Well you wanna know what it's like to be God, pull up your chair to a blank piece of paper or to that blank word document on your computer. Sidney Sheldon may very well have said it right. Writing is like playing God. And from my personal experience, it's painful, it's agonizing, it's frustrating, it's hellish, it's a burden on your heart and a black mark on your soul. And there is no truer bliss. Which reminds me of another quote.

It's tougher than Himalayan yak jerky on january. But, as any creative person will tell you, there are days when there's absolutely nothing sweeter than creating something from nothing. - Richard Krzemien

Ain't that the truth. There is absolutely nothing sweeter than creating something from nothing. Something from nothing. Hmm.

I bring this up because that's where I'm at right now. Yeah, yeah, production on shorts are pending, still working on Monster Cops episodes, and marketing The Midnight Special. I'll never stop being a movie maker, but along with that I'll never stop being a writer. And I'm at that point right now. Staring down the blank page. Finding that road that'll lead me straight to that fucking Demon. The Writing Demon that wrestles me to the ground right when I think I've got my pace going. What sucks is that he also likes to kick me in groin, point and laugh at me as I'm in pain, and then he always says the same thing and it never makes any sense, "How do ya like that Francis?!" Then he gives me a wet willy, does some sort of strange Xena Warrior Princess combat yell, and then runs off into the darkness. So weird. He's got fucked up teeth to. I mean like evil Vampire teeth, but also like red neck hasn't seen a toothbrush in ages teeth. He's missing a fang or two. And who the fuck is Francis?

I don't really know any other way to do it. I do start the same way. First the brainstorming section. I buy a brand new slim, 3 ring, black folder. I three hole punch 50 sheets of white paper, stick em in the rings, close the folder, set out a Pentel RSVP black 91 writing pen. And then I sit and stare at the closed folder. If you ever happen upon me as this is happening, you'd probably think I was praying. I always contemplate with my hands together as if in prayer, right before I open the folder. I guess all great quests must start with some form of ceremony or ritual. After that I fling the folder open and stare down the page. I start writing. Not with the capped pen still sitting on the desk, mind you. I'm writing in my head.

It is of course a screenplay I'm working on once again. So what I'm really doing is seeing the movie in my head. And you'd think after all this time, I'd have it down. All the little tricks and gimmicks to writing a movie. Writing isn't about tricks and gimmicks. Certainly not when it's a comedy/mystery you're trying to write. But the biggest hurdle is the fact that you have to write low budget. Meaning I'm trying to piece together scenes that I can shoot with what little resources I have here. And I'm not home in Texas, where I know where everything is. I know how to get whatever I need there. I'm in North Carolina, in an area that I'm not completely familiar with. Mainly surrounded by much forest. Hey, forest is good. I can write comedic mysteries in forests.

So I have a picture in my head. I actually pick up the pen. I write a few things down, knowing full well that I'm going to be scribbling it out just minutes from now. Oh, here comes the first scribble. What? I wrote down a scene involving 3 characters. Who the hell are going to be playing these three characters when I know good and well I'll most likely only be able to get 2. I even went into detail with the dialogue being about how cold the rain is. This may not necessarily be shot in winter, and even if it is, there is no garuntee that it will be cold or raining that day. So let's stick to things we can control. I am afterall only God on paper.

The limitations are endless when it comes to finding that creative niche. Over and over things go in and out of your brain. The writer in me says, "I have this great scene idea that takes place in a warehouse, surely we can find a warehouse somewhere." Then the director in me kicks in going, "don't tie the scene to a warehouse if it's not on the list of places that are garunteed." The come the random thoughts. "Ooh! A scene that involves flying pigs in a Russian Orthodox Cathedral! Dammit! If only we had a delorean and a time flux capacitor!" "I've got it! Talking Animals!" It's easy and sometimes necessary to go on tangents. Which reminds me of a scene from The West Wing.

Sam and Toby are working on the President's Thanksgiving Proclamation Speech.

SAM [cont.]A small band of pilgrims sought out a place in the New World where they could worship according to their own beliefs... and solve crimes.

TOBYSam...

SAMIt'd be good.

TOBYRead the thing.

SAMBy day, they churn butter and worship according to their own beliefs and bynight, they solve crimes.

Ok, gotta buckle down. What am I working on? Am I working on the script for that feature that I may or may not shoot, or am I working on that 5 minute short that I know that I will shoot? Believe it or not I pick the hardest of the two to work on. The 5 minute short. Heck I need to get more shorts out there on the internet and in fests and stuff, lets' get to work on that. With the feature I can go hog wild and then go back and correct all the impossible things I cannot possibly shoot. With 5 pages/minutes, we're talking about trying to nail it as close to the mark as possible. I mean if I go hog wild now and write in impossible scenes, I'd only be wasting time, because in 10 minutes I gotta go back and look at reality. So I go through the routine of talking outloud as I pace. This cannot be avoided with me. I have to talk outloud, I have to move around. And in the midst of trying to write in my head, I have to do other things within the time I'm walking and talking. I have to do origami, I have to practice card tricks, I have to scream, jog in place, throw things, do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight. All these things are necessary. I don't know why, they just are.

It's agonizing. I mean it's a real physical hurt to just get to that creative point, trying to come up with that idea. And it's not one that I can get help with. I have to be alone. I have to have my privacy. All by my lonesome, feeling that pain, trying to give birth to something. Some sort of strange immaculate conception of which the labor has no definite end. Could take hours, could take months. But in 5 pages and 5 minutes a story can be told with the resources at hand. And it's right there. It's staring right at me and I can't see it fully, but I know it's right there. That moment of brilliance is right there. THERE! Over by the trash can, next to the fridge, it's right there. Then it's gone. Stolen, taken, yanked away by guess who.

INT. ROOM - NIGHT

PATRICK stares blankly at "It" as THE WRITING DEMON grabs hold of it and begins to run.

PATRICKHey!

The Demon stops in his tracks clutching on to "It".

DEMONWhat?

PATRICKFor just like, once, could you just hand that to me. Or at the very least leave it in one place so I can grab hold of it?

PATRICKYeah like Vinyl. Album cover and all.It's all about the music, sure, but you feellike you've got something substantial andnot just something you burned or downloaded.

DEMONExactly.

Patrick smiles. They're really getting along.

PATRICK (Smiling)Alright then. We have a deal.

The Demon smiles. But the smile slowly turns to a pout.

DEMON(Angry)Screw you Francis!

The Demon runs off with "It". Patrick is confused.

PATRICKWait! No wait! I have ABBA!

He pauses to see if there is a response.

PATRICK (con't)Fleetwood Mac?

Another pause.

PATRICK (con't)Starland Vocal Band?!

Patrick gives up and heads back to the desk. He stops suddenlyand turns back to the Demon's direction.

PATRICK (con't)Who the fuck is Francis?

CUT TO BLACK

And so it is that the agony continues until you can get back to "It". That idea, that moment of wonder. That little spark to get things going. And once you're going it's not an easy path your on. There is no such thing as writing, only rewriting. The labor pains can last you a while. But once it's all said and done and your baby is born. It is a sight to be hold. And all the agony, frustration, and pain was worth it.

Then you do it all over again.

Let's face it, that's the most addicting part of playing God on paper. Creating. Creating is an addiction. Especially when we're trying to create something out of what is seemingly nothing. And I think it's true for most things, whether your painting a picture, knitting a sock, constructing a building, or writing a movie. We all like the feeling of starting with what seems like nothing and creating something out of it.

Like pulling cards out of the air. Ya know, like a magician.

Follow the path of your aroused thought, and you will soon meet this infernal inscription: There is nothing so beautiful as that which does not exist. - Paul Valery

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Here are a few vids I find very creative and, dare I say, brilliant. Some really creative stuff here. The last one I can't seem to get out of my head.

Animator Vs. Animation

Animator Vs. Animation Part 2

HellHoles Episode 1

Batman: Dead End

Before Batman Begins, this was the most impressive rendition of Batman since the original Burton 1 and 2. Great idea and excellent execution.

405

405 was the first composite fx short to really get some attention. It was a wake up call to most indies that it was possible to achieve big budget fx on the independent level.

The last few vids are from SNL. But I have to point out that they were made possible by Andy Samberg and the original crew he rolled with called The Lonely Island. In my opinion The Lonely Island is one of the best things to ever happen to SNL. They've been responsible for much of the Video Recuts and Digital Shorts. They were always good at making great comedy/parody music videos, but now on SNL they can use big celebs in them. Genius. I never thought I'd ever see Tom Hanks or Natalie Portman like this. Some great beats too.

Friday, December 22, 2006

For those that have been asking, The Midnight Special isn't available on DVD yet. We're working out details for distribution right now. We may still pop up with a few more fests and screenings, but all that will be posted about in January.

We'll be working on the short series of The Midnight Special entitled Monster Cops. more details about that in January, but expect to see a webisode or two around that time as well. Sorry no hints right now as to who may be picking up the series or the movie. In due time.

I'll be posting about all the details of all of our upcoming productions and distribution news in the near future on both the WTW blog and in more detail on my blog, One Spartan.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

It's something I find myself talking to more and more filmmakers about. Less is more. Also something that was hammered into my head back in my early days of Theatre. It's a concept that seems to be ignored by too many indies. Too many people focusing on what they can't get instead of (here comes that phrase Patrick likes so damn much) "doing the best with what they have."

I went on about it a few posts back, and for many of you who have kept up with my previous blogs and journals, you know I say this quite a bit. Now more than ever you can afford the very basic things you need to make a movie. Cameras are more affordable, computers, yadda, yadda, yadda. But still too many people focus on, "Geez, if we only had a better camera!" or "Just another grand to match the grand we already have to make this movie..."

If you have access to a camera, shut up and shoot something. If you have a grand set aside to make a movie and you're still hesitating, I'm comin over right now to slap you in the frickin face. Do you know what I could do with a grand? How about this? What if Steven Spielberg had no money, no studio backing, no connections? What if all he had was his talent? What do you think he could do with a grand? I mean lets say all he could get with that grand was a camera, a computer, some tape stock, some cheap lights, and maybe a few more odds and ends that he could only get with one grand. What kind of movie do you think he would come up with?

This particular subject has been conceptualized and documented in a kick ass site called, you guessed it, $1000 Spielberg. Check out the site. These guys have got it down. Much of the rules and concepts I've set for myself, these guys have got listed on their site. They talk about it too. The idea of using what you've got, as well as knowing how to use what you've got. If you have a lower end MiniDV camera that has decent resolution but isn't quite up to par with HD or 35mm, then why are you going to set out to make a 35mm film? I'm going to shoot this 357 using paintballs.

I've known too many of these guys. I've seen their shorts. Too many people trying to imitate the latest Hollywood trends. Hey, practice is great. Go out and practice some of your Matrix style moves and fx, lord knows we have, but as far as conceptualizing a feature film, too many people wanna go out and make a million dollar movie with only a grand in their pocket. Sometimes less. Hey I get it, we think big, we want to make big impressive movies. But I repeat what Clive and James over at $1000 Spielberg have said. "Make your format your advantage."

If you're going to make your guerilla movie, than adhere to some of the rules of guerilla tactics. One of those rules is this: Make your weaknesses your strengths. If you can only afford a low end MiniDV camera, start thinking about what you can make in that format. What is something that would look feasible in this particular format? Obviously you can't shoot widescreen panavision style epics. You could try, and many have, but it doesn't seem to work well. So how do you make it work? How could lower resolution video look "good"?

For me, doing The Midnight Special was an easy concept. It just clicked with me one day. It has to be reality TV. A huge inspiration was Cops. When Cops first came on the air (seems like ages ago) I was a little angry I didn't do it first. I thought, well here's a genuis idea. Low production costs, hight end concept. One camera, video tape Cops at work. Cut it together, get some minor graphics, got enough money left over to get a theme song, get it on the air, and boom. Instant TV show. No actors, no fx. Cops became a staple along with many other shows on TV we all now know as "reality TV". Along comes The Real World and America's Funniest Home Videos and the increase in the voyeuristic, cinema verite, type programming, and now everyone's use to seeing this look. This rough, spy cam, realistic, home movieish look. So why not come up with a storyline around that particular kind of look, heck we've got the cameras for it. That's what they did with Blair Witch and The Last Broadcast.

So that was our niche. A reality TV look into the "training video" of a Secret Government Agency that fights monsters. Basically it's Reno 911 except with monsters. Of course there's more to it than that, a little bit of added pathos and drama along with the comedy. But that was the basic idea. A training video. Would definitely fit the format. Features interviews, camera tag alongs on cases, monster sighting type footage, etc. No need to spend money making it look real, because most of it was real, well, except for the monsters, but we'll cover that later.

So instead of looking at what you can't make with what you don't have, start looking at what you can make with what you do have. Blair Witch is an example, except I would advise you actually write a script. The Last Broadcast is a really great example, and it's well written. And there it is, it's in the writing. A great story can be told with a movie, and you should be creative enough to come up with something amazing with what you've already got. Make the best with less.

And speaking of that, here's a movie that won the Fangoria Chainsaw Award for the BEST WITH LESS Category. It's a movie called Zombie Honeymoon. Written and Directed by David Gebroe. I haven't seen it yet, but the trailer looks great. Good job David! I am really impressed.

That's a very rough cut of the opening intro to each episode. I'm going to get to work on 3 episodes the first of this year. 2 for online debut and 1 for ... well ... we'll talk about that later. Let's just say things are looking up.

That is the theme song. Busted my ass recording that this past week and a half, but I finally nailed the sound I was looking for. I needed something dark but with a bluesy feel. I don't know if that's what you guys can hear out of that, but that there is the sound I've been aiming for. Synthesized pads over a beat designed with Fruity Loops, threw in some very light orchestration in the background, and topped it off with my harmonica, key of C to be exact. Ran the final mix through Acid and it was good to go.

However I would like to make the orchestration a bit heavier and a little more echo to the harmonica. I'll tweak it later. Also need more shots of The Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex as well as more Monster Sighting Photos and art. Gonna have to make a few calls.

Ok, off to go see how much full S.W.A.T. gear costs and then it's bedtime.

Just saw this on Rex Navarette's website, thought I'd help spread the word about this little boy here.

There's this two year old little boy named Harrison Leonardo, who has been fighting Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). He's been in remission since last August, but the condition returned just right before Thanksgiving. I know that he's a tough little guy, having gotten that strength from his daddy OJ...who I've been friends with for almost twenty years. Harrison's daddy, mommy and little brother Lucas are spending all the time they can right now with Harrison so he can recover. If you have the time to read these online links about Harrison and his need for a bone marrow donor, you'd at least be fullfilling the spirit of the season.

Finding a matching marrow donor for Filipinos and Asians has been a challenge for years. All the info for donor drives and how you might help are on these sites. Maybe one of you lucky souls out there might be able to give Harrison a little help and support. So visit the sites and say hello to the family and keep Harrison in your thoughts and prayers.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

For those of us hardcore movie nerds we know about a little thing called The Wilhelm Scream. If you watch movies in general, then you've heard it and never even knew. Someone uploaded a nice little video compilation on youtube. This is awesome, and I'm fairly upset that I didn't do it first.

Okay, look, here's the deal. Man, you were gonna drive me around tonight, never be the wiser, but El Gordo got in front of a window, did his high dive, we're into Plan B. Still breathing? Now we gotta make the best of it, improvise, adapt to the environment, Darwin, shit happens, I Ching, whatever man, we gotta roll with it.

- Tom Cruise as Vincent in COLLATERAL

Not that I'm a huge authority on the matter, but I do get the occasional request on what tips I can offer those starting out in low low budget production. I always end up telling them the same thing.

1. Remember, you control the camera.2. Creativity First, Money Last.

You Control The Camera.

The one mistake I do see often with ultra low budget and amateur videos is the lack of camera control. Somehow people just lose control of the camera. The shots are too shakey or just not steady enough, and not on purpose either. With my movie, The Midnight Special, it's shakey on purpose, because we were going for that reality TV type, COPS feel. All the shakes were intentional, in fact looking back at it now, I think we had too many steady shots.

It's always the signal of a first time camera guy when the camera shakes. And there are different kinds too. One of my favorites is one I like to call the, "We Didn't Buy A Tripod Shake". They hold the camera handheld and try there best to hold it steady. This hardly ever works. Unless you're intention is to get that handheld NYPD Blue, Paul Greengrass, effect. But most times you can tell they were trying to keep it steady, battling the fact that human's can't help but twitch every so often. Even worse when it's a small light weight camera. Even even worse when the shot is zoomed all the way in on something, in which case every centimeter you shift looks like a bad swish pan from one mile to the next.

The solution of course is to buy a tripod. Which brings us to the, "I Have A Tripod But I Keep Touching The Camera Shakes." This may be even worse than the first. Because on a tripod the shot is static. But then all of a sudden the shot twitches because you got all itchy about the shot and felt the need to mess with it. Solution, set your shot on the tripod, and then leave it alone. There is no need for you to have your hands on the camera and tripod at all times, espescially when it's not a particularily heavy camera. If it's windy, or the shot is supposed to pan or tilt, fine grab hold, but if you're trying to get a steady shot, DON'T TOUCH THE CAMERA.

The point is you have to realize you control the camera. If the shot shakes it has to be because you wanted it to and you felt it would be good for telling the story at hand. If the shot needs to be steady, then keep the camera steady, either on a tripod or not. Which brings me to the next piece of advice.

Creativity First, Money Last.

You've gotta learn that creativity will solve a problem much faster than money. What if you can't afford a tripod? Then get a stool and some duct tape. What if I can't afford duct tape? Then set your camera on a table, a nearby chair, how about the ground. I don't know how many great shots I got just by setting the damn camera on the ground, and then propping the lens up with my wallet. Hey look at that, a nice steady shot with no money.

Now I'm not saying you don't ever need money. Eventually the bigger movies you make you're going to need some funding. Movies do indeed cost money. Cameras and computers to edit on cost money, of course. But nowadays those things are much easier to come by if you're working that day job, which you should be. After that, if you can shoot it, and cut it, then you've got all the power in the world. No need for you to spend thousands on a fancy crane, special fx, or expensive locations. Use what you've got. Shoot in your apartment, use your car, a park, a parking lot. I mean, come on. It's a lesson taught over and over again, haven't we heard about this a billion times. Clerks, Evil Dead, Night Of The Living Dead, the frickin Blair Witch. And get on youtube and triggerstreet, you'll see some real gems for no money.

No money is the motto of the world and the backbone of civilization. Some truely creative and powerful things have arisen from the poor, the penniless, and the desperate. It's the very roots of rock, country, blues, and hip hop. It's learning to make music with a washboard and a jug. It's figuring out how to make big sounds with two turntables and some old records. It's the days of the early street performers all the way to Vaudeville, when the most creative acts came from the slums, the ghettos, and the poor houses. It's the very soul of Martial Arts. Using your limbs as weapons, or making weapons out of those thing around you, all in the name of defending yourself because you had to. You needed to.

True talent has always come out of desperation. True creativity has always risen out of the very rock bottom of down and out. If they can figure out how to build pyramids without machines, if they can make music with nothing but their hands and mouths, if they can make hit performances out of sticks and brooms, then you should be able to come up with a creative masterpiece with out fancy FX or an expensive tripod. You've got the camera, you've got the editing software, shut up and make a movie.

It's the very essence of the true guerilla filmmaker. Do the very best with what you've got. Adapt, improvise. If you really look at it you have the opportunity to create something the big Hollywood machine cannot. A movie from your specific point of view. Think about it, they would have to spend 3 hundred grand if they needed to put together an authentic set that looked like someone's apartment or house. And you don't have to. Use your supposed weaknesses as your strengths. Do the very best with what you've got, and often you'll find it's exactly what you needed in the first place. I believe there's a life lesson in there somewhere.

Here's an example. Out of the millions of dollars some people spend on putting together music videos, the fancy filters, the hot dancers, the expensive sets, cars, etc. Here's one of the coolest, most popular, most creative music videos EVER!

The band is OK GO. And if you haven't seen the awesomeness of their videos, check em out now, and tell me if you couldn't have come up with that yourself for no money.

You know in guerilla warfare, you try to use your weaknesses as strengths. If they're big and you're small, you're mobile and they're slow. You're hidden and they're exposed. Only fight battles you know you can win. You capture their weapons and you use them against them the next time. That way they're supplying you. You grow stronger as they grow weaker.

This was originally posted on Live Journal on June 19th, 2005. I'm posting it here now, because I wanted to include it in this blog and because it's still relevant for me today. Enjoy.

Sometimes you don't have to do anything.

Sometimes you just have to let it go. Let it do it's thing. Let the flow, flow. Let the groove, groove. Let the bears bare and the bees be.

I wrote a script for the movie we are doing now. But the problem with making movies in general is that most times things may go wrong. Things may not turn out the way they are supposed to in accordance with the script. Lord knows that this is oh so true for low budget films, and more specifically and most definitely for NO budget films. After tonights shoot, I thought of the scene in State And Main where Walt the director(William H. Macy) and Joe the writer (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) are sorting out how to shoot a movie called The Old Mill after learning that the old mill has burned down.

Walt: Don't run off. We need you. You know why? You're why we are here. You're script is why we are here. Big deal, we fight a little bit. Show me a family that doesn't. But we got something good here. You know what it is? We're here to make a movie. We can't use the old mill. That happens. What you gotta do, you've got to figure out the essence. What is it that brought us all here? It wasn't a building, Joe. It was an idea. What is the essence of your story Joe?

Joe: It's about a man who gets a second chance.

Walt: Then you write that. And then this is our second chance. That's why we're all here.

Joe: I want to make a good film.

Walt: I know you do.

Joe: Maybe it will be a better film without the old mill.

Walt: Hey, it's with the gods. We don't have the money. We got to write it out, the best or not. And that's a lesson.

RIGHT THERE. "We don't have the money. We got to write it out, the best or not." And that is most certainly is a lesson. This is a realization that I learned over the 7 years it took to make my first movie. And a lesson I knew all about going into this movie. We don't have the money. So, you do what you can with what you have and try to tell the essence of the story. Too many people bail out when there is no money. When everything that the script calls for isn't there or isn't available at all. And I can bitch all the live long day about not having enough money to finish the movie. But all of that is window dressing compared to the real deal.

What is the essence of this story? When I came up with the idea for The Midnight Special I knew what the gimmick was. I knew it was going to have some solid scares in it to be a watchable horror flick. I knew it was going to have laughs for it to be an entertaining comedy. I knew that I was going to have to go for the "Cops" look in order to properly use the medium that was available to us. I knew what I could do and what I couldn't do. I knew what was possible and what was even more possible even if everyone said it wasn't possible. I knew what I wanted. I knew what we could get. I knew what we couldn't get but I wanted anyways.

But I also knew about the essence. I knew that I had to hold on to the true essence of this movie in order to be able to truely finish it. I knew that anything and everything can and will go wrong and that when it did I had to be prepared. And I must say some moments were real whoppers. Some things occured that I expected, but it still threw me back. And there were a few moments here and there where I wanted to throw in the towel and head on back to the world of the 9 to 5 working class dreamer. But I held on to the essence of the script. I had to pay attention to the fact that although we couldn't get the costumes we wanted, or always get the location that was called for in the script, or always get that specific shot, or always get every bit of the cast to be together all in one place and on time. Although things did go wrong, and sometimes horribly, as long as I held on to the essence of the story, then anything was possible.

I knew that everytime I had to shoot to keep in mind of what part of the story needed to be told and what the audience needed to feel. Not necessarily see, but what did I want them to feel. You try to shoot the script, but if it doesn't workout, do you give up? Pack it up and go home? No. You figure out exactly what is it that needs to be conveyed here and you try your best to convey that. You try your best to tell the essence of your story. So you soldier on using whatever you can. Maybe it wasn't the original prop, shot, set, you wanted, but are you still able to convey the same message that is in the story of this particular screen?

So now when we go to shoot some scenes. I aim for what I want and how I want to tell it. But if I can't do it my way then you have to do it the story's way. You have to figure out how to do it creatively without that particular thing you thought you needed. And most often then not you may come up with something better than what was originally written. This has happened many times within this movie, and each time it turned out better than what was written, but still in accordance to the essence of the story. And this is the lesson.

Bruce Lee said, "The great mistake is to anticipate the outcome of the engagement; you ought not to be thinking of whether it ends in victory or defeat. Let nature take it's course, and your tools will strike at the right moment."

As a story teller sometimes you can't tell it the way you want to. As long as you tell the story. When things got rough I tried to apply this philosophy to the obstacle, and many times that obstacle turned into a productive tool. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you should always abandon form and not aim for a specific goal. Just realize that sometimes formlessness can be your form and within the realm of no buget filmmaking, you should let your story be your goal.

Tonight specifically was one of those nights. I knew what I wanted, but I knew that maybe we couldn't pull off what I wanted. But instead I just let it flow. I let nature take it's course. After awhile it all came to me. We let the tape roll and we just did the scene. No form. No rules. And it all fell into place. We got some great shots. We shot a very necessary scene for the movie. We kept the idea of the movie and the story in mind and we went for it. Low and behold all of our tools struck at the right moment. And looking over the footage just now I realize we got the scene I wanted to get. The scene I needed to get tonight. We achieved the goal of the story. And we are that much closer to getting it all done.

Hopefully soon you'll be able to see what it is we've all been working so hard for. Hopefully soon everyone will be able to finally see and hear and feel the essence of this story. Hopefully soon you'll be able to be witness to our goal. Our story that is.

Yeah I wrote a script. But going in I had to realize that the script isn't always the story. The story is something truer than that. And as long as I can tell that truth, then I'll reach my goal. We will have made a good movie. The script is just a script. For most people they turn it into something more. Like a code or a set of rules that MUST be followed.

I say hang the code and hang the rules.

They're more like guidelines anyway.

"The first lesson in my film school was that it's not your wallet that makes the movie. Any monkey can tap himself out financially. The idea is to tap yourself out creatively first."- Robert Rodriguez

Casey: Technically, I have a plan. Dan: What's the plan? Casey: It's Napoleon's plan. Dan: Who's Napoleon? Casey: A 19th century French emperor. Dan: You're cracking wise with me now? Casey: Yes. Dan: Thanks. Casey: He had a two-part plan. Dan: What was it? Casey: First we show up, then we see what happens. Dan: That was his plan? Casey: Yeah. Dan: Against the Russian army? Casey: Yeah. Dan: First we show up, then we see what happens. Casey: Yeah. Dan: Almost hard to believe he lost. Casey: Yeah.

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Parting a soup is not a miracle, Bruce. It's a magic trick. A single mom who's working two jobs, and still finds time to take her son to soccer practice, that's a miracle. A teenager who says "no" to drugs and "yes" to an education, that's a miracle. People want me to do everything for them. What they don't realize is *they* have the power. You want to see a miracle, son? Be the miracle.

- Morgan Freeman as God in BRUCE ALMIGHTY

I don't know why I felt compelled to post that.

So it was around 2 AM I posted that last entry. It is now 11 AM. And I've been fiddling with this blog all this time. Updating all the links you see to the right. Adding some video. Trying to get the colors right. I mean this is, after all, my home on the web. That's how we sometimes see it don't we? It's like the land rush at the end of Far And Away and everybody's trying to get their little piece of their virtual land so they can stake their claim in the world wide web. Everyone's swift in getting their blog up, their video posted, their page all dressed up to show off.

Me? I'm no different. This is my blog so I shall decorate it to my tastes. I mean come on, that ONE SPARTAN banner at the top, that took me a good hour. Even longer to get the right text down. Also the links to the right are mostly reminders for my day to day dealings, but hopefully there are a few links to help anyone out if they have any interests in making movies, or watching videos, or having sex with manatees. Rest assured I will be updating the links often for you and for me. Will most likely be adding some of my music later. Maybe some pics. Perhaps a mini bar. Oh the endless things you can do on the internet. Sigh.

Just a note about what this blog will be about. I'll be talking about making movies, selling movies, writing movies, watching movies, curing cancer, folding paper, making cards disappear, as well as a whole range of topics from martial arts to cooking, and every other hobby I seem to have collected, as well as everything that happens in between. Like most blogs there may be some away time. And there may be some rapid fire postings. But mostly I hope to use this blog to help me sort out the constant barrage of thoughts in my brain, the miracles that occur every so often, and document the adventures amidst them. And perhaps there maybe something to pass on in the ways of life and moviemaking. If not for you dear reader, then definitely for my future forgetfulness.

Or maybe this will be a Blog O' shit.

Now pardon me, but I really need to sleep before I have to get up to go to a birthday party in 5 hours.

Please take a gander (If you already haven't) at the official site for the movie I wrote, directed, and scored (I was in it too!). It's called THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL. It's located at monstercops.com. And also feel free to look at my production companies web site at whethertheweather.com.

Chances are the next post will be about that.

Until then, here is one of our little videos. Made with the help of Andrew Johnson and Mark Tabije. A comedy short, shot and improvd in one night. This is NEMESIS.

I've got a myspace account. But I don't really feel the "blogging" vibe there. I have a Live Journal account, and there was a time when I was all about posting there, but I somehow have lost a passion for it. I still intend to post there every so often, but not lately. I have made many friends through LJ and I do like how you can choose friends and lock posts so only they can see it, but I've been wanting to post more publicly and at the same time not feel the need to post or not post because of my friends list, er something like that.

I dunno.

I think I just needed something new. More separate. More freeing. I do have another Blogger account but that's actually the WTW Blog which I've decided to just use to post WTW related news. In this blog I can post more personally as well as get into more details about filmmaking and life in general.

So I dub thee post number 1. I'll be back in a bit as soon as I shower and cook up some food. Ooh, see now that was a personal detail. Something I wouldn't post on the general WTW Blog. I don't think me showering and cooking are relevant WTW posts. Unless I decided to make a short film about it.